U-boat Commands

Werner Winter began his naval career in April 1930. He served on the line ship Schlesien and then on the light cruiser Emden before transferring to the U-boat force in July 1935. After a few months on U-22 he took command of this boat in October 1937, and during the fall of 1939 made two brief and unsuccessful patrols.

In November 1939 he was attached to the BdU Op staff. In July 1941 Winter took over command of U-103 from the famous ace Viktor Schütze and made three successful patrols, earning him the Knights Cross.

In July 1942 he took command of the 1st Flotilla in Brest, France. He was captured after the surrender of Brest in August 1944, returning home from Allied captivity in November 1947.

After the war he served for a few years in the Bundesmarine and retired as Kapitän zur See in March 1970.

About ranks and decorationsRanks shown in italics are our database inserts based on the rank dates of his crew comrades. The officers of each crew would normally have progressed through the lower ranks at the same rate.